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Japan is the bathing captial of the world, you can quote me on that. 

Almost every store has a humongous bath section and people of all ages, even grimy little boys, look forward to their baths every night.  The whole thing is incredibly relaxing, first a vigorous scrub in a shower and then a soak in the tub in an upright sitting position.

Most of the time, Japanese people soak in plain hot water.  Other times they will throw bath salts in.  Lavender and Yuzu seem to be very popular scents at bath time. 

It is believed that Yuzu will warm you up in winter, yuzu has a wonderful citrus scent and you should know by now I LUV citrus scents.  Since many Japanese don’t heat their homes the same way we do in the US, a body-warming citrus bath is usually welcomed. 

Now you can experience the Pleasure of a Japanese Bath from the comfort of your own home with Shu Uemura’s bath oil.  It’s amazing! the scent, fresh citrus that infuses the air and your skin.   It makes my skin feel so soft but it’s not at all greasy like some other bath oils can be.  It makes the water white at first but it didn’t warm up my body, maybe I’m too cold blooded, (please note the Shu Uemura product does not claim to warm your body, I’m referring to the old school thoughts on Yuzu).  Luckily I like to run the water extremely hot so my body’s plenty warm as it is.

Pleasure of Japanese Bath is available in Yuzu (citrus fruit), Shobu (no idea), Sakura (Cherry Blossom) and Hinoku (no idea) for $40.  Please note that these bath oils have been re-introduced and originally launched over a decade ago! So don’t miss this chance.

Two things you never thing of at the same time: Madonna and suckers… somehow her latest album Hard Candy got me to thinking. If there’s any woman on the planet I’d like to go to for beauty advice it would be Madonna.  She’s no sucker or fool and by now she’s seen it all and then some.  If she likes a product or a line, for sure, it’s good.  Madonna’s choice to work long term with Gina Brooke (Artistic Director for shu uemura) speaks volumes about the makeup artist and the line. Follow the four easy steps to create a perfectly flawless look! hints for you, involves my fav lipstick Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine Collection and eyes of feline.  You can also check out some Access Hollywood footage from the shu uemura homepage.

Shu Uemura has released their newest thing for your lips, Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine makes it’s debut with 17 lip colors with professional grade hyper pigment.  The formula has water-capturing molecules that will hydrate your lips while shining them up with light-reflective pearls.  

Here are some tips from shu uemura’s Principal Makeup Artist, Jason Hoffman… 

-For a light glossy stain, apply directly from the tube.
-If you want a slightly heavier shine, use a brush to apply. The brush will pick up more product and blend it evenly on the lips.
-For more color depth and long lasting wear, pair the crystal shine with a pencil.  Try to use a pencil that is similar in color and remember to fill in the lips, avoiding the outline left alone when the shine wears off.
-As with all of our lipsticks, crystal shine is great for eyes and cheeks.  Use a synthetic foundation brush and apply on the apples. (the colors look very fresh and the shimmer offers a beautiful sheen)
-For the eyes, use a synthetic concealer brush. Beiges and browns will be the easiest to wear on the eyes as reds and oranges can often make you look tired.
-Every woman should own the shade WH (white) 002S.  It is so versatile! It can be used alone for a light glossy finish or layered over ANY lip color.  It will lighten the color and give it a hint of pink shimmer.
-The shade BG (beige) 901S is also a must have for anyone who likes wear a smoky eye.  It is the perfect beige that compliments browns, purples, greens, blues and black.

All of those tips are very do-able, a big thanks to Mr. H and Shu Uemura for passing this on.  Click on over to the Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine site to purchase a lippy.  If you’d like to test in person visit the Uemura boutiques in fab cities like: San Francisco, Boston and Costa Mesa or select Neiman Marcus stores, Saks, Barney’s NY, Chicago and 90210.

Keep on Shining!